Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Drago
“Nice,” Lev mutters as we’re greeted by three severed heads laid out on the table.
I nudge him hard in the ribs. There’s nothing amusing about this, and the Quinns won’t find humor in it either. Neither do I. This isn’t bravado. It’s a message.
Enzo is typing furiously on his phone, shoulders tight, not even registering our arrival. Declan stands rigid beside the table, fury carved into his face.
“Who are they?” I ask, nodding toward the heads.
“Some of ours,” Declan replies grimly. “Lower ranks. We sent them into Ohio to scope out leads, and this is how they’ve returned.”
My jaw tightens. “How many did we send?”
“Ten,” Conan answers.
I do the math automatically. “So seven survived. Not too bad.”
Declan nods once. “I’d prefer no fuckin’ heads on my table, Drago.”
“Well, when we go to them, we leave none of them alive. This is war. This happens.”
That’s when Enzo finally looks up, his expression dark and calculating. This is the worst possible timing to drop what I’m about to say, which usually means it’s the only time to do it.
“I have something else you need to know,” I say, my eyes locking on Enzo. “And you’ll want to be in on this.”
He pockets his phone and gives me a sharp nod.
“It appears we’re in possession of something Tatiana wants.
Or rather, Lily was in possession of it, and now I am, because I won’t be letting her walk around with a death sentence.
” I pause deliberately. “And I’ve initiated my protocol to make contact with Tatiana.
Now we wait for her to reach out. Or for her to come find me. ”
Enzo’s jaw ticks, a tell he doesn’t bother hiding. I know he’s been hunting her for years. And over the last couple of years, that hunt has escalated into something far more dangerous. She holds answers for something for him, and she does everything in her power to stay just out of his reach.
Whatever it is, it’s big. Because he hasn’t closed in on her yet, he’s trying to outcalculate her, I can see that. Waiting for the perfect time.
“What do you have?” he asks.
I glance briefly at Lev before turning back to Enzo.
“A necklace. One Lev and the Butcher had made years ago for their daughters. Lily’s contains years’ worth of secrets and access to funds.
We don’t know exactly what Vano put on Tatiana’s, but it’s enough that she would recognize the match immediately. ”
The room goes still.
“It wouldn’t take much for her to connect the dots back to Lev,” I add. “And she has. She’s not just watching, she’s acting. I extracted a guy from Lily’s. One of hers. She won’t step foot in our country, but she has contacts who can and will.”
“She sets foot here, and I will kill her on sight,” Declan seethes.
“No. You won’t. She’s mine,” Enzo growls.
Fuck me, it’s like a game of cat and mouse with them, and no one knows why. I think it spans beyond a debt. Beyond anything mafia-related. I believe it’s personal. I also believe the only reason Tatiana is alive is because he needs her. The second he doesn’t will be her downfall.
“What do you suggest we do?” I ask.
“Can you handle a meeting with her?” Enzo asks carefully.
“Yes.” My voice stays even. “But we all know I’ll have to cut a deal. The difference this time is that I’m not the one begging. I’m holding the leverage. And I think this will give us our two birds.”
Declan folds his arms. “Two birds with one stone,” he says slowly. “How?”
“There’s no chance Tatiana doesn’t know how to get to the Preacher,” I reply. “Russian men turning up in his ranks isn't a coincidence. It’s infrastructure. My bet is either her or Emil is assisting.”
I lean forward slightly, letting the weight of it settle. “If she gives me the information, I give her the necklace.”
Silence crashes down around us.
“And if she lies?” Conan asks.
My mouth curves, humorless. “Then she learns exactly why she shouldn’t have underestimated me.”
Because this time, I’m not fighting for power. I’m fighting for Lily.
Enzo looks me dead in the eyes. “We use her. We can break her empire. But I need her alive. That’s important. There is a no kill order out on her. And if anyone breaks that, I’ll fucking ruin you.”
“What the fuck?” Lev hisses beside me.
Confused faces fill the room, but I'm not unfazed by this. “Got it, boss.”
We all know better than to argue with Enzo. Even Finn, as pissed as he looks, remains silent. Sometimes, the bigger picture is required to survive in this life.
We trust Enzo. We will keep her alive.
“I’m heading to Monaco with Lily for a few days. I’ll let you know if she makes contact.”
Enzo clears his throat. “I expect live feeds. I want to hear everything she says.”
And that is what keeps him on top. He trusts no one.
I respect that. My old lawyer's head snaps back into place. “If she makes contact, Enzo. I’m a traitor to her and her family for helping Declan save Charlotte. But please know, keeping Lily safe remains my number one priority. I will do nothing to jeopardize that or anyone here. You are my family, as are Charlotte and Isabella.” I remind him, glancing at Declan.
I’d never betray them.
By the time we leave, Lev seems flustered as we get in the car. “Thank you for fighting for my little girl,” he tells me.
Guilt swirls in my gut. Like I haven’t imagined fucking her in twenty different positions in the last two days. To the point I can’t trust myself alone with her.
“Always.”
“I’m going for a nap,” Lev shouts as he heads upstairs.
The second his footsteps disappear, I pull up the monitors. And there she is.
Lily, down in the gym, pounding away on the treadmill like she’s trying to outrun her own thoughts. Skin-tight leggings hug her every curve, and the steady rhythm of her body moving makes my cock twitch before I can stop it.
Fuck.
I shut the screen down and strip out of my suit, swapping it for something more practical. Less obvious. More dangerous. Then I head downstairs before I can overthink it, before guilt has a chance to talk me out of this.
The moment I open the door, her eyes snap to mine.
Always aware of me. Even when she pretends she isn’t.
“Come with me,” I order, jerking my chin toward the door beside us.
She doesn’t even break her stride. Doesn’t slow the treadmill. Just looks at me like she’s daring me to try harder. “Sorry, I didn’t hear a please. No can do.”
My jaw tightens.
I step closer and lean over, hitting the stop button. The machine safely grinds to a halt beneath her feet.
“Please.” The word tastes like surrender.
She smiles, and my chest does something painful and stupid at the same time. “What do you want, grumpy?”
I arch a brow, forcing my voice steady. “You’ll see, sunshine.” And then I fucking wink.
Her cheeks flush instantly, pupils blowing wide like she’s just been struck by lightning. I see it. Feel it. The pull snaps tight between us, invisible and violent.
Why can’t I stop myself around her?
It was easier when I stayed in the shadows, when I was just a ghost in her life—watching from a distance, protecting without being seen, without wanting.
Now she’s in my space. In my head. Under my skin. Every look feels like betrayal; every breath near her feels like crossing a line I swore I’d never touch.
She is the daughter of my best friend. She’s the reason I still have a soul left.
And I want her anyway.
That knowledge settles heavy in my chest as I turn toward the door, waiting for her to follow.
This isn’t just temptation.
It’s a test.
And deep down, I’m terrified I already know how it ends.